Is A Temporary Service The Right Choice For You?

To temp it or not to temp it. That’s one of the big questions facing today’s job seekers.

There’s no question that the temporary placement industry is growing like wildfire. But it’s not the old temp game that’s holding sway; instead, the real growth is in the newer temp-to-hire approach.

In a nutshell, tempto-hire is the placement industry’s try-before you-buy strategy. Having screened, interviewed and evaluated - and trained where necessary - a would-be candidate, the staffing agency puts him or her to work in a real-life job on a probationary status.

“We have a wide variety of people who come to us,” said Tami Legler, branch manager of the Accountemps and OfficeTeam officers in Spokane. “And our client companies have need for a wide variety of backgrounds and experience.

“We understand the client’s environment and their management style, so we can match the skill sets and aptitudes of our employees with the needs of the company.”

“A lot of your top organizations out there go through staffing agencies now,” said Kay Cadero.

It saves time and money for the employer and it provide the job seeker with several valuable benefits, too.

“We work with 200 different local organizations, so you have a far better chance of finding the right position than if you were out looking on your own,” Cadero said.

“We are essentially 10-folding your resume search. The only thing the employee has to lose is time, and if they spent the same two or three hours that they would spend with us on their own search, it wouldn’t be nearly as productive.”

There’s the credibility issue, too: “We can offer you credibility in your job search. If you are going to the right service, one that has a good reputation, then that name goes behind the person seeking the job: You are recommended by someone with credibility.”

And because a staffing agency works directly with employers, the candidate may find doors opening that were once closed.

“We find that more and more organizations today are hiring only through a staffing service. Say you wanted to get into an organization, you could submit a resume there over and over again and they won’t look at you.

“But we can help you get a job there.”

Working with a staffing service helps preserve the self-esteem of a candidate, as well, she said. “This is one of the things I’m going to talk about in my seminar. If you’ve been searching for a job, going door to door, dropping off resumes, and people are not talking to you. When 10 doors close on you, it can be an act of futility.

“Once we decide you’re a viable candidate and hire you, we’re going to take some responsibility for finding you a job.”

Among the groups which get the most benefit from a temp service are newcomers, Legler said. “A lot of people are new to the area and with our natural connections they seek us out.”

Another group that benefits are those “who have reached that point in their careers that they want some flexibility. They want to be able to pick and choose their assignments,” Legler said.

There is no cost to the employee to register with a staffing service - all fees are paid by the employing company. And the candidate who is accepted by the agency becomes an employee of the agency with full benefits.